Esperance hoping to be second time lucky - Orange CAF Champions League 2010

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Esperance hoping to be second time lucky

11-09-2011

Esperance hoping to be second time lucky

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Tunisian giants, Esperance are hoping to be second time lucky as they host Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco on Saturday in the second leg final of the 2011 Orange CAF Champions League.

The Stade 7 November in Rades near Tunis will be the focus of the whole continent and the rest of the world as they journey to the 2011 edition of the premier continental club championship reaches its final lap.

After a barren draw in the first leg in Casablanca last week, both teams have equal chances of annexing the most sought after title in African club football, which has eluded them for well over a decade. An electrifying atmosphere involving the two North African sides is expected to draw the curtains on the competition which commenced way back in January. Despite the fact that the three previous meetings between the two sides this season has failed to produce a winner, that jinx will be broken this time.

Making their second successive appearance at the final, the Tunisians, winners in 1994 appear poised to rewrite the history books after a nightmarish 6-1 aggregate loss to TP Mazembe of DR Congo last year. However, the ‘Blood and Gold’ are still haunted by the successive final losses in 1999 and 2000 to Raja Casablanca (Morocco) and Hearts of Oak (Ghana) respectively, but coach Nabil Maaloul and his charges are better placed to erase their trophy-shy record.

On their last three occasions in the final, Esperance has failed to make the most at their backyard, despite the huge task of a five-goal deficit last year. In 1999, they lost on penalties to Raja Casablanca before suffering a 1-2 loss to Hearts of Oak the following year, which played a significant role in their inability to land the title on both occasions.

This season, the likes of Oussama Darragi, Youssef Msakni, Mejdi Traoui, Khaled Korbi, Ghanaian-import Harrison Afful, Cameroon duo Yaya Banana and Yannick N’Djeng and Malian Idrissa Coulibaly have displayed an output which puts Esperance ahead of their opponents in the return encounter.

The Tunisians consider the game so crucial to the extent that national team coach Sami Trabelsi has left out Esperance players for an international friendly against Algeria on Saturday in Blida as part of preparations for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

“Wydad are a very good side. They are very physical and mentally strong. We know much about them and with determination, we can beat them,” Afful said ahead of the second leg.

The case is rather the opposite for Wydad, who have been dealt a major blow with doubts over the availability of first choice goalie Nadir Lamyaghri for the return encounter. The 35-year old captain and his club’s Player of the month (October) sustained an injury at training on Tuesday and has been ruled out of action for at least four weeks.

In his absence, Yassine Bounou is likely to fill the ‘big shoes’ of Lamyaghri, who has been a pillar in the ‘Red and Whites’ journey till this stage. The sad development may compel Swiss coach Michel Decastel, who is aiming to follow the footprints of Faouzi Benzarti, as one of few coaches to have won African titles with different clubs to revive his notes for the game. The Swiss guided CS Sfaxien of Tunisia to the CAF Confederation Cup title in 2007

The winner will pocket $1.5 million and a ticket to represent the continent at the FIFA Club World Cup scheduled for 8-18 December in Japan whilst runner-up goes home with $1 million.

Fixture

Esperance (Tunisia) vs. WAC (Moroco) (0-0)

RESULTS

ASO Chlef